1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to benzodioxole, more specifically to benzodioxole derivatives having excellent hepatopathy improving effects and also to their preparation process and use.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hepatopathy caused by viral infection, overdrinking, fatigue or the like has increased in recent times, and indeed liver diseases are anticipated to become national diseases the 21st century.
To date, only an extremely small number of compounds are known to be effective for hepatopathy, and those used clinically are limited to just a very few.
These drugs are, however, not fully satisfactory because their GOT-value-improving effects are weak although they may be effective for the improvement of the GPT value.
The present assignee previously found that gomisin A isolated from schisandra fruit, crude drug, and represented by the following formula: ##STR2## can promptly improve the GPT and GOT value of a hepatopath and is extremely useful as a hepatopathy improver. Subsequently, extensive research have been carried out to develop hepatopathy improvers based on gomisin A.
Gomisin A is, however, an extract from a natural raw material, so that its preparation steps are irksome and its yield is low. Further, the production of its raw material itself is limited. Gomisin A thus presents an economic problem in development as a drug.
It is therefore desirable to prepare gomisin A or a compound having similar drug efficacy thereto by chemical synthesis.